Known cloths are pleated longitudinally (direction of warp) or transversally (direction of weft). Moreover, crepe-like cloth is known in which patterns in the cloth are slightly raised to provide extension characteristics. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,828,444 to Davis et al discloses a creped bandage-type cloth wherein the bandage is rolled on a spindle which is then removed while the roll is shrunk and compressed. The resulting bandage is creped and extensible. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 3,325,871 to Thompson and Japanese Reference No. 45-36360 disclose crepe-like fabrics with very small undulated surfaces which increase the stretch characteristics of the fabrics. The latter two references teach the production of the disclosed fabric by rolling the fabric on a mandrel and then compressing the fabric while the fabric remains supported on the mandrel.
The crepe-like effects of the known fabrics are obtained from significant twisting of each yarn of the fabric. Such twisting creates localized torque in each yarn, thereby causing the yarn to function like a spring and the fabric as a mass of entangled springs.
The known cloths, however, fail to provide significant relief effects (i.e., greater than crepe-like effects) in both the warp and weft directions. For example, in crepe-like fabrics, the length of one side of the relief effect remains less than 5 mm. Further, it is difficult to vary the dimensions of the relief effects in crepe-like cloths. The known fabrics are also not as bulky as desired.
It is the object of the invention to provide a cloth having significant non-crepe like relief effects in both the warp and weft directions.
It is another object of the invention to provide a cloth having relief effect in which the length of the relief effect is 10 mm or more.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a cloth having relief effects whose dimensions vary.
It is an additional object of the invention to provide a cloth having increased bulk in relation to known crepe-like fabrics.
It is another object of the invention to provide a cloth with three dimensional relief and increased bulk which is suitable for clothes, home furnishings or wall coverings.